On 8 November 2024, the OURFC Men’s Blues competed against Crawshays Welsh RFC, an invitation side that throughout 100 years of operation has featured 450 international plays. The match was a nail biter to the very end. Props were on the loose. Yellow cards were awarded. Scuffles ensued. The last seconds on the clock ticked away, and the Men’s Blues emerged victorious, the team’s first and deserved win of the 2024-25 campaign.
Like each game before, there was electric in the air at Iffley Road under the Friday night lights. With only three games into the Men’s season, over 3,000 people have sat in attendance to witness the spectacle of Oxford joue rugby. Whilst enjoying the gifts of the rugby gods, fans enjoyed a three-course meal, featuring stuffed quesadillas dripping with golden cheese, home-made cinnamon donuts coated in chocolate sauce, and creamy headed Guinness poured right at the Pavilion.
Before the start of the match, both sides observed Remembrance Day by giving a moment of silence in honor of the 41 Blues who gave their lives in World War 1 and 2. The Blues roster featured faces both old and new, featuring Pat Meigh making his second ever start at fly half for the Blues and the long-awaited return of Tom Mewes from a lingering hamstring injury.
The whistle blew. Kick-off was underway, and the Blues came out flying in the first half. They dominated double tackles, contested the ruck, squeezed through half-gaps, and burst into clean breaks. By the sixth minute, “Captain America” Mike O’Donnell touched down Oxford’s first try of the match, a short pass off a five-meter lineout from “Piece” Will Roddy. Ten minutes later, Jack Hamilton scooting from the rugby gave a delayed pass to Mewes, who broke the line and offloaded to Wolfe Morn, a brilliant passage of play between three veteran Blues.
However, the backs were not only the players with the gentle touch of an artist at work. Who could have that Mikey Fankah, who clocked in at 130 kg, could goose-step his way into open space? He said after the match, “I looked up and saw no one there.” This past weekend, Fankah debuted for Hartpury RFC in the Premiership Rugby Club. Meanwhile, “Piece” got to know the Crawshays lock. Oxford did not sit for long on a comfortable lead. In the final ten minutes, the Crawshays climbed their way from a two-try deficit. The Crawshays Welsh RFC gave a strong performance against the Blues, particularly through their half-backs who dummied and stepped their way under the posts. With one minute left on the clock, the Crawshays dug tooth and nail to within two meters of the Blues tryline. Following two yellow cards to OURFC – one to Luke Newfoundland “Khabib” and Fergus Dick, both living up to their names – the referee did not hear a single word from the Blues bench.
Salvation came in the form of a knock-on after time expired to seal a victory for Oxford. The OURFC Men’s now enjoy a weekend of rest, but tune in next Friday night (22/08/24) to see the Blues build upon their momentum against Trinity College Dublin.
For full match photos see Steve Karpa's album here
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